February 2009

BFRL Monthly Highlights

December 2008

January 2009

February 2009

March 2009

April 2009

MORE Highlights

---

NIST Organizes Major Response Robotics Exercise 

A NIST organized rescue robot exercise in Texas gathered 130 participants. Three dozen robots were put through their paces by developers and first responders in the November 2008 exercise. This exercise was sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate to develop performance standards for robots for use in urban search and rescue (US&R) missions. The exercise is an important step in helping prepare performance standards that are being hosted by ASTM International under their E54 Homeland Security Applications Committee.

The event took place at Disaster City, Texas, a test facility run by the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), a part of the Texas A&M University System. The facility offers an air strip, a lake, two train wrecks, three rubble piles, a variety of collapsed buildings, and other unique disaster “props” that can be arranged for many types of challenging tests. The robots were run through realistic training scenarios, as well as through 19 test methods that have either been already approved or are being prepared for balloting within ASTM. This exercise provides the end users and manufacturers the opportunity to develop concepts of operation for deploying robots in a variety of response missions and to comment on the developing test methods.

Test methods included measuring battery capacity by having robots perform figure eights on an undulating terrain and mobility tests in which robots ran through increasingly challenging exercises, such as maneuvering on stairs, ramps, confined spaces, and gaps. Several aquatic test methods, such as visual acuity, were tried out by underwater robots. A critical performance parameter that has a strong influence on overall system capability is the communication link between the user and the robot. Proposed test methods were studied for evaluating the performance of wireless links used on US&R robots under both line-of-sight and non-line-of sight conditions. Data gathered during the exercise will help researchers to revise the proposed test methods. A new mapping challenge introduced at this event evaluated the accuracy of the robot-generated map. Researchers came from across the globe to collect data to feed into their mapping algorithms.

NIST was well-represented, with participants from MEL leading the effort, BFRL providing high-resolution ground truth capture using 3D sensors, and EEEL directing the wireless communications test methods mentioned above.

CONTACT:
Alan Lytle
301-975-6048

Uncertainty Analysis of NIST 1016 mm Guarded- Hot-Plate Apparatus

BFRL researchers have published NIST Technical Note 1606 documenting an in-depth uncertainty analysis of the NIST 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus. The report presents new and revised uncertainties for measurements of thick insulation transfer specimens provided to the insulation industry for calibration of their thermal performance equipment. Due to renewed interest in energy efficiency, the insulation industry is under increased demands to provide thicker insulation specimens that have reliable thermal performance. NIST now provides calibrations for insulation specimens up to 225 mm having an expanded uncertainty of 3 percent.

The uncertainty calculation procedures presented in the report are also useful to ASTM International for prospective inclusion in the guarded-hot-plate test method. The uncertainties are reported in a format consistent with current NIST policy on the expression of measurement uncertainty. The report presents an extensive example for computation of uncertainties for the NIST 1016 mm Guarded-Hot-Plate Apparatus when operated in the single-sided mode of operation. For specimens of lowdensity fibrous-glass blanket thermal insulation, the relative expanded uncertainty for thermal resistance increases from 1 percent for a thickness of 25 mm to 3 percent for a thickness of 225 mm. Although these uncertainties have been developed for a particular insulation material, the procedure and, to a lesser extent, the results are applicable to other insulation materials measured at a mean temperature close to 297 K. The analysis identifies dominant components of uncertainty and, thus, potential areas for future improvement in the measurement process at NIST.

CONTACT:
Robert Zarr
301-975-6436

BFRL Economists Train DHS Energy Managers in Building Life-Cycle Costing

At the request of the Energy Program Manager for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), BFRL economists delivered two building life-cycle costing (LCC) training sessions at the 2009 DHS Chief Administrative Officers Forum. The January 2009 forum drew a sold-out crowd of 700 DHS employees and contractors responsible for energy management, real property management, and occupational safety and health to the three-day event in Crystal City, Va.

BFRL Economist Barbara Lippiatt conducted an introductory “LCC101” training session, covering the basic LCC methodology and data requirements for evaluating alternative federal energy efficiency investments. The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 requires federal agencies to increase building energy efficiency by 30 percent by 2015, but only if the investments are life-cycle cost effective.

BFRL Office of Applied Economics Chief Robert Chapman followed with an “LCC201” training session, covering techniques for evaluating uncertainty and risk in an LCC economic evaluation. He illustrated these techniques by demonstrating the BFRL Cost-Effectiveness Tool (www2.bfrl.nist.gov/software/CET), which allows building owners and managers to define risk scenarios, identify possible consequences of those scenarios, and compare combinations of strategies to mitigate those consequences.

CONTACT:
Robert Chapman
301-975-2723

Privacy Policy  /  Security Notice  /  Accessibility Disclaimer  |  FOIA  |  Information Quality  |  About NIST NIST is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce